Need help creating my GMAT study materials shopping list : General GMAT Questions and Strategies

thenine

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16 Jan 2005, 14:42

Paul wrote:

Hi Chris and welcome aboard. Among the given books, I would suggest you have Kaplan800, Kaplan 2005+CD and PR 2005+CD. You might also want to purchase ETS Paper Tests which you can find on GMAC.com.
Start with the fundamentals. Depending on your background, you may either need more verbal or quant tune ups. Here would be the order in which I would go about studying
1- PR 2005 will give you good tips and insights into the GMAT. It will also teach you the basics. Do not do the CAT yet.
2- Kaplan 2005 will be pretty much of a repeat. I would skip the Q+V learning sessions of this book as only its CD will be very useful. However, you ought to do the paper test provided at the end of the book as a gauge of your current skill level.
3- Go through Kaplan800 IN DETAIL. Understand how each problem is done and do not worry too much about the timing at this time. You will see that as you get better, each of those problems can definitely be done under 2 min. This is one of the best books as it will teach you how to do the toughest Q and V questions. Do not skip the explanations to a problem simply because you got it right. Go through every question to make sure that you got the most efficient way to approach it. You should go through the question banks and analyze them in excruciating detail
4- By this time, you should be fairly comfortable with GMAT fundamentals. Take your some PR CAT tests. Maybe 2 of them. Save 2 for later on. Also, do 2 Kaplan tests. Do not worry for you Kaplan scores as it is normal it will be lower than your real potential score

5- Take your first PP CD test 1 and some paper tests. This will show you where you really stand after all that studying
6- Now it is time to open up the OG. You should not do this before the previous tests because it will contaminate your PP score as you may recognize many problems. Do every single question in the verbal section and know why you got each one right and wrong. I would suggest you also go through "the best of verbal" as there are quite good discussions on how to approach the toughest verbal problems. As for math, I would suggest you to focus only on the last 100 PS questions and last 100 DS questions of the OG. The rest is really too easy. Do not worry if you miss like 8-9 DS in a row in the last 100 ones. Those are really tough and even many 750+ scorers get 8-9 of those wrong in a row.
7- It is now time to do the 2 Kaplan CD and PR CD tests remaining. Remember that the Kaplan test scores will be low. This is why you should avoid doing these within 2 weeks of your exam date because it will destroy your confidence.
8- Do the last PP test and ETS Paper tests.
9- Get a good day of rest and sleep before the exam.

I did not mention the MGMAT tests because I never really used them. What you can do is split them b/w step 4 and 7. It is important that you take as many tests as possible to get the "feel" of the real exam and the time pressure involved. Also, participate in the GMAT challenges of GMATclub given every 2 weeks. It will gauge your math skills vis-a-vis that of other test takers. Last but not least, throughout all these steps, you should try to participate as much as possible in the club

This is because if you can explain things in your own words and "teach" those concepts to other fellow GMATers, it will mean that you really mastered those concepts.

Good luck,

Paul

Paul,

This is a great guide on how to work your way through the material for the GMAT.

I am curious as to how you split your time between studying for the verbal and the quant sections. Quant is where i need the biggets review but I am confsued on how to ballance between the two sections.

Should i spend 2 months just reviewing the math, or should i spend a few days a week on math and a few days a week on the verbal. I am so confused on this one.

Paul

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16 Jan 2005, 23:59

Hi thenine, it depends where you stand in verbal and quant. If your verbal is 40+(very strong), you can definitely skip verbal practice at first while eventually working on that through CD tests later on. If your verbal is hovering around 30, I would certainly recommend you to work on both math and verbal alternatively. Alternating on a daily or per study session basis is up to you.

thenine

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17 Jan 2005, 09:59

Paul wrote:

Hi thenine, it depends where you stand in verbal and quant. If your verbal is 40+(very strong), you can definitely skip verbal practice at first while eventually working on that through CD tests later on. If your verbal is hovering around 30, I would certainly recommend you to work on both math and verbal alternatively. Alternating on a daily or per study session basis is up to you.

Thanks for the advice...I really choked on the verbal on the real gmat. I was scoring anywhere form the 96th to the 90th percentile on al the CD tests, Kaplan, PR and PP. Then i pulled a 77th percentile on the real deal

So i need some review just to keep me in the test taking mind frame.

I think i am going to go through and do the entire Kaplan GMAT GRE Math Review from start to finish with no work on verbal.

Then when I move to the OG review I will probably alternate and study up on both.

I appreciate the advice. The most difficult thing for me has always been trying to navigate my way through the mountain of material.

Shawn

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24 Jan 2005, 00:26

I am about to begin my preparation for GMAT.

Have ordered for OG and Kaplan 2005 with CD. Nothing else.

Getting little confused with -
Kaplan 800
Kaplan workbook
Kaplan verbal...etc

Are above books required, given that i have kaplan 2005 with cd?

For preparation should I complete Kaplan and then move to OG? Please let me know.

Thanks !!

maneeshkumar

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Help in Verbal Section [#permalink]

14 Feb 2005, 01:09

Hello there,
I just joined this forum and i feel many of my questions have been answered. Thank guys for maintaining such good forum.

I am an enginner and i feel my Quat skills are ok i sure do need work out on that. The problem area i feel is Verbal and i dont think it to be up to the mark. I am just starting the prepration any suggestion how to fine tune my preprations. With what books i should start my preprations? Right now i am focusing on basic maths and vocubulary building.

PS: Paul if you have any suggestion that would be great.

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14 Feb 2005, 01:16

I generally agree with Paul. However, a good starting point is to read the the descriptions of each question type in the OG. This helps students develop a sense of the content specification of the test. Reserve the actual problems for later.

Hjort

simply_anurag

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help reqd 4 verbal section [#permalink]

26 Feb 2005, 11:46

hi all,

pls help me with the verbal section ..... at prsent i just have the pr cracking the gmat cat but definetely going to buy kaplan gmat 2005
and the official guide... please suggest books on the verbal section as i am quite confident that i can tackle the quant section on the gmat ....

pls help me .....,

cheers !
anurag

p.s. paul if u can help me , it would b really gr8

chriswil2005

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the OG [#permalink]

04 May 2005, 10:59

This may seem like a dumb question, if so I reserved it for my first post on this message board. Where can I get the official guide?

cloudz9

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04 Jun 2005, 13:19

Paul wrote:

Hi Chris and welcome aboard. Among the given books, I would suggest you have Kaplan800, Kaplan 2005+CD and PR 2005+CD. You might also want to purchase ETS Paper Tests which you can find on GMAC.com.
Start with the fundamentals. Depending on your background, you may either need more verbal or quant tune ups. Here would be the order in which I would go about studying
1- PR 2005 will give you good tips and insights into the GMAT. It will also teach you the basics. Do not do the CAT yet.
2- Kaplan 2005 will be pretty much of a repeat. I would skip the Q+V learning sessions of this book as only its CD will be very useful. However, you ought to do the paper test provided at the end of the book as a gauge of your current skill level.
3- Go through Kaplan800 IN DETAIL. Understand how each problem is done and do not worry too much about the timing at this time. You will see that as you get better, each of those problems can definitely be done under 2 min. This is one of the best books as it will teach you how to do the toughest Q and V questions. Do not skip the explanations to a problem simply because you got it right. Go through every question to make sure that you got the most efficient way to approach it. You should go through the question banks and analyze them in excruciating detail
4- By this time, you should be fairly comfortable with GMAT fundamentals. Take your some PR CAT tests. Maybe 2 of them. Save 2 for later on. Also, do 2 Kaplan tests. Do not worry for you Kaplan scores as it is normal it will be lower than your real potential score

5- Take your first PP CD test 1 and some paper tests. This will show you where you really stand after all that studying
6- Now it is time to open up the OG. You should not do this before the previous tests because it will contaminate your PP score as you may recognize many problems. Do every single question in the verbal section and know why you got each one right and wrong. I would suggest you also go through "the best of verbal" as there are quite good discussions on how to approach the toughest verbal problems. As for math, I would suggest you to focus only on the last 100 PS questions and last 100 DS questions of the OG. The rest is really too easy. Do not worry if you miss like 8-9 DS in a row in the last 100 ones. Those are really tough and even many 750+ scorers get 8-9 of those wrong in a row.
7- It is now time to do the 2 Kaplan CD and PR CD tests remaining. Remember that the Kaplan test scores will be low. This is why you should avoid doing these within 2 weeks of your exam date because it will destroy your confidence.
8- Do the last PP test and ETS Paper tests.
9- Get a good day of rest and sleep before the exam.

I did not mention the MGMAT tests because I never really used them. What you can do is split them b/w step 4 and 7. It is important that you take as many tests as possible to get the "feel" of the real exam and the time pressure involved. Also, participate in the GMAT challenges of GMATclub given every 2 weeks. It will gauge your math skills vis-a-vis that of other test takers. Last but not least, throughout all these steps, you should try to participate as much as possible in the club

This is because if you can explain things in your own words and "teach" those concepts to other fellow GMATers, it will mean that you really mastered those concepts.

Good luck,

Paul

This is an AWESOME write up!

Cheers for that Paul!

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10 Jun 2005, 18:30

Hi all,
Can anybody tell me regarding the quality of Manhtn materials & 800 score tests. Ineed more practice. :roll:

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Just started [#permalink]

16 Jun 2005, 11:34

Hi, All,

Took GRE in 1999, never did GMAT before.

I am in.

I read lots of posts here, feel my blood pumped up, yesterday I ordered Kaplan 2005 CD, PR CD, Kaplan verbal workout, plus OG from Amazon and EBay based on your suggestions, thanks !

Got my master of computer science 6 years, feel the downward pressure and devalution of programming career, I am determined to pass GMAT first to test if I still have the stamina and resolve to study MBA.

Will kepp you posted.

Thanks.

Robin,

himjhamb

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Following Paul's footsteps [#permalink]

14 Jul 2005, 17:11

Hi,
I have been reading a lot on the Gmatclub for the past 1 week - about how to go about preparing for Gmat - this is my second attempt. The first time (about 6 months ago) I scored a paltry 590, although I thought I had prepared for 650+. I think I made the following mistakes:

1. Although I disciplined myself during practice tests to not get 'stuck up' on a math problem trying to figure out the right answer, for more than 2 minutes.... I violated this rule on test rule. As a result I had to rush through my last 5-6 Math pblms. That killed my confidence a bit.

2. I had not reviewed the verbal sections very thorougly - and although, was quite confident on the test day - did not score well.

Needless to say, I was quite disappointed w/my 590.

Anyway, long story short - Now the stakes are higher and the goal is higher (700+) - I think I like Paul's plan the best (among all the plans that have been recommended) and am going to follow it .... and of course, you will see posts from my account & the weekly challenges more frequently now... I just got the ammo - PR2005-06, Kaplan 2005-06, Kaplan 800 & OG (I already had this)... Wish me luck!!!!!

Thanks!

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26 Jul 2005, 12:00

Its a great insight on how to use the GMAT material. Thanks for such an indepth knowledge... Will be giving out my study strategy soon on this website hope u all will find it handy....

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31 Jul 2005, 13:23

Hi, i need some urgent advice.

I'm taking the test in in about 3 weeks time.

I ordered the Kaplan GMAT 2005 book, however it's coming without the CD ROM. It's probably a different version or something.

Now, I was able to get hold of a Kaplan GMAT 2003 with the CD ROM. My question is should I go ahead and order the Kaplan GMAT 2005 just for the CD ROM or should I be ok doing the tests found on the CD ROM of KAPLAN GMAT 2003.

Thanks!

Paul

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31 Jul 2005, 19:20

You will be fine with the 2003 Kaplan CD which is esentially the same as the 2005 version.

Adonis

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Thanks for your post. [#permalink]

15 Aug 2005, 08:56

Paul wrote:

Hi Chris and welcome aboard. Among the given books, I would suggest you have Kaplan800, Kaplan 2005+CD and PR 2005+CD. You might also want to purchase ETS Paper Tests which you can find on GMAC.com.
Start with the fundamentals. Depending on your background, you may either need more verbal or quant tune ups. Here would be the order in which I would go about studying
1- PR 2005 will give you good tips and insights into the GMAT. It will also teach you the basics. Do not do the CAT yet.
2- Kaplan 2005 will be pretty much of a repeat. I would skip the Q+V learning sessions of this book as only its CD will be very useful. However, you ought to do the paper test provided at the end of the book as a gauge of your current skill level.
3- Go through Kaplan800 IN DETAIL. Understand how each problem is done and do not worry too much about the timing at this time. You will see that as you get better, each of those problems can definitely be done under 2 min. This is one of the best books as it will teach you how to do the toughest Q and V questions. Do not skip the explanations to a problem simply because you got it right. Go through every question to make sure that you got the most efficient way to approach it. You should go through the question banks and analyze them in excruciating detail
4- By this time, you should be fairly comfortable with GMAT fundamentals. Take your some PR CAT tests. Maybe 2 of them. Save 2 for later on. Also, do 2 Kaplan tests. Do not worry for you Kaplan scores as it is normal it will be lower than your real potential score

5- Take your first PP CD test 1 and some paper tests. This will show you where you really stand after all that studying
6- Now it is time to open up the OG. You should not do this before the previous tests because it will contaminate your PP score as you may recognize many problems. Do every single question in the verbal section and know why you got each one right and wrong. I would suggest you also go through "the best of verbal" as there are quite good discussions on how to approach the toughest verbal problems. As for math, I would suggest you to focus only on the last 100 PS questions and last 100 DS questions of the OG. The rest is really too easy. Do not worry if you miss like 8-9 DS in a row in the last 100 ones. Those are really tough and even many 750+ scorers get 8-9 of those wrong in a row.
7- It is now time to do the 2 Kaplan CD and PR CD tests remaining. Remember that the Kaplan test scores will be low. This is why you should avoid doing these within 2 weeks of your exam date because it will destroy your confidence.
8- Do the last PP test and ETS Paper tests.
9- Get a good day of rest and sleep before the exam.

I did not mention the MGMAT tests because I never really used them. What you can do is split them b/w step 4 and 7. It is important that you take as many tests as possible to get the "feel" of the real exam and the time pressure involved. Also, participate in the GMAT challenges of GMATclub given every 2 weeks. It will gauge your math skills vis-a-vis that of other test takers. Last but not least, throughout all these steps, you should try to participate as much as possible in the club

This is because if you can explain things in your own words and "teach" those concepts to other fellow GMATers, it will mean that you really mastered those concepts.

Good luck,

Paul

Thank you for posting this message. I am taking GMAT 9/6. I am currently enrolled in a GMAT class. My Kaplan Test Score is 590. I generally understand the material but I do not know how to approach some of the problems. The books I am using for the GMAT are as follows:

Kaplan 2006 Edition
The BIG OG(Official Guide)
ARCO Gmat 2006
Princeton Review (Craking the Gmat 2006)

Is it possible for you(or someone else who's experienced) to give me some pointers as well? Thanks Paul and GMAT CLUB! I appreciate your help.

parag_bhadra

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04 Sep 2005, 13:43

No Wonder Paul is a CEO.

Its just Great the way you have given the startegy. I was looking for something similar for a post I had made "Last Lap Advice" for which I never got any answer. Now Im enlightened.

Cheers.

gmatclubot

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04 Sep 2005, 13:43